


Can I Take Care of You?

by orphan_account



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-15
Updated: 2014-12-15
Packaged: 2018-03-01 14:21:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2776223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gerard has always been Frank's savior from his brother Mikey. Mikey always seemed to be beating on Frank, but Frank took it without complaint. Every day, for the last ten years, Frank had shown up to hang out with Mikey. Gerard wants to find out why.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can I Take Care of You?

“Finally!” Frank grabbed Gerard’s pack, kicking at the dashboard with his feet. “Was about to honk the horn, Gee.” Gerard huffed, stealing his pack away, grabbing a cigarette with his left hand, and giving one to Frank. “S’pose you’ll let me off the hook for this one?” Frank giggled, taking a long, long drag. He didn’t like ripping off Gerard, especially now, but someone had stolen his wallet (Mikey) and took his money (Mikey) and so he didn’t have even any money to pay for a pack of cigarettes. “I mean, Mikey took my money, anyway. You should be mad at him for not giving you the money to pay for my cigarettes.”

“I’m mad at you, Frank. Not Mikey.” Gerard muttered, letting himself enjoy the nicotine. “You’re a wimp when it comes to Mikey. Why didn’t you yell at him for taking your wallet? Why can’t you ever stand up for yourself?” He dropped the rest of his cigarette, suddenly disgusted by the taste. Frank whined about Gee wasting cigarettes. “Tell me,” Gerard said quietly. “Why you always expect me to save you.” Gerard started up the car, then made his way to Frank’s house.

Gerard didn’t approve Mikey constantly bullying Frank, which he had always known since the day Gerard was ten and Frank and Mikey were merely seven, the day Mikey had punched out Frank’s loose tooth and he had ended up crying to Gerard, crying that Gerard’s younger brother had hurt him and he had begged Gee to do something about it. Gerard forced Mikey to apologize and said that Frank was like your brother too, Mikey, Frankie was your brother. Ever since that first day, Mikey would never stop bullying Frank.

“Don’t expect you to,” Frank said, a new, unlit cigarette between his lips. “I don’t want anyone to save me.” Gerard stopped suddenly and cursed, a car had just run a red light. He pulled over and turned to look at Frank. “I don’t care if you save me, Gee. You’re not my hero.”

Gerard sighed slowly. It was quiet. “Why did you come over day after day just to get hurt by my brother? Even now, you’re still his punching bag. You have a black eye because of him, Frank!” Gerard took off Frank’s sunglasses, showing the slowly healed swollen eye that Mikey, his own brother, had caused. “Why let yourself be abused like that? Do you like Mikey, or something? Is that why you came over every day to hang out with him?”

Frank went rigid, then quickly used his lighter to light up his second smoke, and he was quiet for a while. “No,” he spoke timidly. “No, I love Mikey as a brother. Nothing more.” Frank put his sunglasses back on. “You’re supposed to be taking me home.” Frank said more clearly, not looking into Gerard’s eyes. Gerard started up the car again and continued to drive. Gerard wanted to talk, but Frank wouldn’t look at him. The rest of the ride was quiet and full of tension. Frank barely let out a rushed goodbye before racing to the front door. Gerard went home and saw Mikey laying in bed.

“Why do you hate Frank?” Gerard asked. He wanted to know why Frank had been tormented for ten years by Mikey, and why Frank put up with it in the first place. For the ten years Gerard knew Frank, he knew Frank was a smart kid, and he wouldn’t put up with bullshit. He got punched in middle school, and he beat the hell out of the kid the next day. Why didn’t he do the same for Mikey as well?

“I don’t.” Mikey looked up, meeting his older brother’s eyes. “It’s been ten years since I met Frank, and I have never hated him. You just don’t understand it.” Gerard left Mikey alone, and crawled into bed.

Frank stared at the dark ceiling. He had had this conversation with Gee for ten years, but never that intense. He closed his eyes and drifted off, lazily. 

Frank was six when he met Gerard, this made Gerard just an nine year old. Frank had known Mikey for a few months through class, but never anything serious. Frank had talked to Gerard once, when Frank “accidentally” bumped into Mikey and exclaimed, “I’m sorry, Mikey! You’re in class with me, right?” Mikey nodded.

“Hey, Frank.” He said quietly, shyly.

“I’m so sorry for bumping into you, Mikey. And your brother. What’s your name again?” Frank couldn’t stop talking.

“Gerard,” the nine year old said, more clearly than his younger brother. “Sorry, Frank, but Mom’s waiting for us.”

The next day in class Frank made Mikey his partner in a school project. “Hey, Mikey,” Frank asked after cutting the paper. “Could I come over this weekend?”

“Sure. Do you read comic books?”

“Yeah!” Frank couldn’t wait to see Gerard again.

Frank spent the night Friday, and Saturday. On Sunday morning, Mikey asked why Frank wanted to come over so much considering Mikey’s been Frank’s classmate since kindergarten.

“I like seeing Gerard,” Frank answered gently. “I think he’s cool.”

“Are you gay?” Mikey asked. 

Frank crinkled his eyebrows. “I don’t know what that means.” 

“It means you like boys. Gerard’s friends call him that. He’s gay, too.”

Frank thought over it for a minute. He wasn’t quite sure. The next weekend, he agreed that he was gay, and he liked Gerard.

“I want him to take care of me, he seems like the kind who’ll help people who get hurt.” Frank whispered to Mikey that night. Mikey had glowing stars on the ceiling, he liked looking at them, and thinking Gerard had them, too. “Mikey!” Frank exclaimed, sitting up. “I have a plan. For Gerard to help me.” 

A few days after Gerard’s birthday, Mikey punched Frank, hard, so hard his loose tooth came out. Frank came to Gerard with tears in his eyes.

This plan went on for ten years.

In the morning, Gerard received a phone call. It was Frank’s ring, so he picked up, thinking it was an emergency. “Your aunt Sally must be dead for you to call at five in the morning.” Gerard groaned. “Yes, Frank? Something you want?”

“I can’t sleep,” Frank said. “Come over? Please. We need to talk about today.” 

Gerard didn’t bother getting dressed. He climbed through the window to Frank’s room and sat opposite him. Frank’s eyes were wide-open, looking at Gerard like he might break into tears.

“Are you okay?” Gerard asked. “Something with Mikey?”

“I don’t like Mikey, Gee.” Frank told him. “Ten years ago, I asked Mikey to hurt me. So….so you could take care of me. I knew you would.”

Gerard looked confused. “Why let yourself go through that?”

“I wanted you to be there for me and help me. I don’t like Mikey, Gee.” Frank bit his lip, afraid he might cry. “I’ve adored you since I bumped into you and Mikey. That’s why I came over all the time. Gerard, I’ve always wanted you to take care of me.”

“Frank…” Gee looked at him, Frank was solemn-faced, eyes stony and hard. Gerard slapped him on the head, gently. “You idiot,” he breathed out, almost laughing. “You idiot, Frank. You didn’t have to let Mikey hurt you for me to take care of you.” Gerard touched Frank’s hand. “I don’t want you telling Mikey to hurt you anymore. Even if you’re not hurt, I’ll take care of you.”

Gerard gripped onto Frank’s hand and moved closer. “I want you to take care of me forever, Gee.” Frank said confidently. 

“Okay,” Gee agreed. “Forever.”

Gerard leaned close, and kissed Frank, his lips soft and sweet against his own.


End file.
